Back when I first returned to town, I was lured by the inky blue of this very strange yarn. It's silk, but it's raffia, or at least it looks and feels like raffia. But the color. It really hit me. It's just so pretty.

I do not care if someone knit an entire top for Knitty in this here yarn, no chance I'd ever let it scratch against my skin. Welcome to Itch Town. Seriously, it's possible that it would chafe some delicate parts. To be fair, it does soften after knitting and frogging and washing, but I'm not sure I want to wash something half a dozen times before I can wear it.

But I do like the Silken Straw for decorative items... like a much needed headband to keep my sheared locks in check during those upside down moments.

Behind the Headband

I originally set out to knit Wendy's Dream Swatch (check left column), but after working a few pattern repeats, I decided that my yarn was just not working with the pattern. Too much chris-cross. Too easy to drop stitches.

Of course, it's back to Ravelry for a little squiz around the patterns page. That's where I found the very cute, Star Stitch Headband from Jen La. I like the star stitch, but really this is just a long, skinny scarf that you tie around your head.

But me, I rarely like things as they are, and my biggest problem with the sash-around-the-head style is that I don't like a bunch of bunchity bunch around the back of my neck. It mashes my hair in a weird way that sometimes actually hurts. Go figure.

Armed with the expert I-chord knowledge I gleaned from knitting the Ogee Skirt, I added some ties to what amounts to a small rectangle of stitch pattern. The stitch pattern ends somewhere around the top of the ears, then morphs into I-chord. Too easy.

I have gobs most of this yarn left over, and the best I can think to knit are headbands. Expect a few more of these sporting various stitch patterns (can you have too much Vogue Stitchionary?) as my need for quick gratification increases. Dude, this knit up in a couple of hours. Cha-ching!

A Quick How To

If you're itching to add ties to rectangles (cool for headbands, belts, and maybe chokers???), all you do is this:

switch to stockinette, adding M1s to each edge of the knit rows until you have the desired width

knit one row, purl one row

work stitch pattern until desired length

knit one row, purl one row

then start decreasing 1 stitch on each edge on the knit rows until you have the same number of stitches you cast on

work I-chord to desired length

cast off, sew in edges.

Public Service Announcement

I feel the need to apologize for my abysmal, blurry photos of late. It's tricky finding the time to get shots of my projects in fun settings and with good light. I need a tri-pod. I used to have a tri-pod. A very nice tri-pod that went missing a year or so ago. I also want a nicer digital camera. I used to be a film camera purist, only turning to my point-and-shoot digicam for "happy snaps," as B says. But I love me some instant gratification... blah

I say blah because I think it's about time to upgrade my laptop, too, and no chance I have the cizash for all of these things, plus more yoga teacher training, plus this and plus that. Life sure was cheaper when I was essentially a shut in. At least I have luxury, hand knit hair adornments.

Comments

That is a very pretty headband. It doesn't look a bit scratchy in the photos. I'm going to have to add headbands to my loooong list of must-knits. My daughter always needs something to keep her wild curls out of her face.

I hear you on wanting better equipment. I'm all about digital these days. It's the only way I can get great shots of my kids.

Cute headband! And a duh moment since I also hate the swaths of fabric -- i-cord. Duh. Maybe the swaths of fabric work if you have long, full hair. Even when I have long hair, and it is dense, but not thick, a swath of fabric underneath looks like I'm trying to hide an enormous growth.